1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for administration of equine and other animal supplements and feed additives comprising a unique package, an apparatus for packaging supplements into such a package, and a process to transact shipments of these supplements.
2. Background
Given the opportunity to graze in a diversified meadow, horses and other livestock will seek out a balanced diet by eating the plants they require. When removed from free range grazing, horses require a combination of cultivated hay and commercial horse feed to maintain adequate caloric intake. Horses also require adequate micro and macronutrients (such as vitamins and minerals). Generally, manufacturers of commercial horse feed add vitamins and minerals to processed grain. The amounts of nutritional additives are targeted toward the average horse. Many horse owners, trainers and veterinarians believe that further nutritional supplementation is beneficial for horses in active training, competition, those with health problems, or those who fall in some general demographic groups (older, pregnant, etc.).
Nutritional supplements can consist of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, proteins, herbs, oils, etc., and are intended to provide additional nutritive support for the horse. Specific supplements routinely added to the horse""s diet include, but are not limited to: Vitamins A, the B-complexes, C, D, E, H, K; chemical entities such as MSM, DMG, DMSO, etc.; minerals including copper, manganese, selenium, cobalt, iron, phosphates, zinc, sulfur, etc.; proteins such as Glucosamine HCl, Glucosamine Sulfate, Chondroitin Sulfate, Perna Mussel; Electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium, etc.; naturally derived substances, such as Brewer""s Yeast, Bee Pollen, and Yucca; and herbs including Devil""s claw, echinacea, mint, St. John""s wort, etc.
In addition to nutritional supplements, there are other additives that may be routinely added to a horse""s feed. These include, but are not limited to: 1) daily dewormer, used to control intestinal parasites, 2) feed through insecticide, to prevent flies from using horse manure as a breeding ground, and 3) garlic, which is believed to repel flies. For purposes of this disclosure, the term supplements will be used to describe all additives that are customarily added to feed prior to consumption.
Presently, most supplements are marketed in bulk containers with airtight seals to maintain freshness and potency. Most of these containers have a plastic bag lining the inside that further protects the product, usually sealed by a wire twist closure. In most cases, the horse owner is responsible for maintaining their own personal supply of supplements.
The present system of administering supplements to horses gives rise to a number of specific problems. First, administration of the supplement is time consuming and labor intensive. For each solid supplement, the person feeding the horse must 1) open the airtight tub, 2) open the twist closure on the internal bag, 3) fish out the scoop, 4) precisely measure out the appropriate amount of supplement for that particular horse on that particular day, 5) replace the scoop, 6) re-close the internal bag, and 7) reseal the tub. This process is repeated for each additional supplement received by that particular horse. With some horses receiving as many as a half a dozen supplements or more, this can be time consuming and offers the opportunity for potential errors of omission or measuring. The person feeding the horse must then repeat this process for every horse to be fed in the facility.
Second, the present approach can result in over or under dosing the horse, either through an error in measuring, or because the horses"" intended daily dose is not properly communicated to the person feeding. For a single horse, the dosage can vary by day based upon a number of factors, including length of time on the supplement, time of year, and intensity of work/competitions. Horse owners complain of a given container of supplement lasting either far longer or shorter than would be expected if the horse received the appropriate dosage each day.
Third, some horse feeders simplify the feeding process by feeding a group of horses receiving a similar supplement out of a single horse""s supplement bucket. This involuntary xe2x80x9csharingxe2x80x9d causes angst among some horse owners, who want the costly supplements that they have purchased to go exclusively to their own horse. It also creates uncertainty as to whether their horse is receiving his supplement on a regular basis, or whether the horse is receiving another supplement that may not be desirable or could have contraindicated ingredients.
Fourth, because supplement inventory is generally managed by the owner, and supplements are often consumed at an erratic rate, owners frequently receive little notice that they are xe2x80x9cabout to run outxe2x80x9d of a given supplement. For many supplements, continuity of treatment is desirable. An impending shortage can result in an urgent need to replenish and may cause logistical challenges for the owner.
Horse facilities have attempted to cope with the complexity of supplement feeding in a variety of ways. Some horse facilities have taken to limiting outright the number of supplements they are willing to feed and/or assessing a surcharge for horses receiving supplements. Some barns simplify supplement feeding by giving all horses on the same supplement the same dosage. This approach can result in over or under dosing (for example, a 800 pound pony receives the same amount as an 1,500 pound horse). Some barns leave the supplement containers uncapped, making access easier, but causing oxidation and a loss of potency, particularly when large tub sizes are used that are consumed over an extended time.
Some horse owners prepare their own mixtures of supplements for their horse(s) in advance. It is possible that pre-mixing multiple supplements could result in an unintended chemical reaction either compromising the quality of the supplements through a cross reaction (e.g. acid base or metallic reduction reactions) and/or losing potency. Also, depending upon how many days in advance these mixtures are prepared, the supplement may be subject to oxidation, risking a further loss of potency.
There has been relatively little activity to solve the logistical problems posed by supplements by their manufacturers. Two companiesxe2x80x94Select the Best and Vitaflexxe2x80x94each offer one of its products in single dose packaging. While this facilitates administration of this particular supplement by eliminating the measuring element, their single standard-sized package limits the flexibility of the amount of supplement administered. Further, this system does not reduce the complexity of administering multiple supplements. See also U.S. Pat. No. 3,845,744 and 5,555,482.
It thus would be desirable to have improved methods for providing supplements to horses and other animals.
The present invention is a system designed to solve the above problems comprising a multi-compartment, easy to open package, a machine for the automated or semi-automated packaging of a diverse array of equine supplements into such packaging, and a process allowing efficient procurement and fulfillment of custom supplement orders.
More particularly, in a first aspect, packaging is provided which is easy to handle as a single unified whole, and that comprises multiple sub-containers or sub-compartments capable of maintaining separation between a plurality of solid and/or liquid animal supplements or feed materials. Suitably, distinct animal feed materials will be placed in distinct, separated compartments of the packaging. Specified amount of the feed materials also can be placed in each compartment to provide a customized feed or dosage amount for a given animal.
The packaging of the invention is particularly useful for administration of feed supplements to horses. Accordingly, the packaging of the invention will be especially useful in horse stables, i.e. buildings that house one or more horses. The packaging of the invention also is useful for administration to a variety of other animals, including dogs and camels.
The invention also includes methods for administering supplement feed materials to an animal such as a horse or pet, which include administering to the animal multiple, distinct supplement feed materials without use of an administration tool (e.g. without the use of a scoop). The administered feed materials are suitably contained in a multiple-sectioned unitary package as disclosed herein prior to administration to the animal. As referred to herein with respect to such methods, an administration tool is a scoop, scoop-type device or other manual or mechanical feed delivery device as has been used previously.
In another aspect, the invention provides apparatus useful to package equine or other animal supplements into the packaging described above. Preferably, the apparatus can draw from a plurality of potential supplements and dispense a desired amount of each of the selected supplements into separate sub-compartment within each container.
As discussed above, in a yet further aspect, processes are provided by which orders are received, fulfilled, and shipped. Customers (most likely the horse owner, owner""s agent, veterinarian, or trainer) will be able to order the supplement utilizing a web site that will provide the following functionality: 1) Ability to customize the supplement dosing regimen, 2) user friendly access to academic and lay information about each supplement, 3) promotions offered by manufacturers, 4) a summary of totals of various ingredients administered, and 5) ability to sign up for automatic fulfillment, delivered to either home or stable.
The packaging, apparatus and processes of the invention will be useful with a wide variety of animals, including livestock such as camels, cattle, sheep, and the like, as well as pets such as dogs and cats. However, as mentioned above, the invention is particularly useful for providing supplements to horses. Accordingly, the present description of the invention is generally directed to use of the invention with horses, although it will be understood that the invention can be used in the same manner with other animals, including pets and livestock.
Other aspects of the invention are discussed infra.